#THE COASTING-VESSELS ACT, 1838 
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##ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
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##SECTIONS 

1. Extent. 
2. Rules as to coasting and other vessels belonging to any citizen of India.
3. Marking or branding vessels with name of place and number.
Owner to paint name and number.
4. Registry of name, number and burthen.
Registry by whom to be made, Fresh registration.
5. Owners to apply for registry.
Information of registry at subordinate port.
6. Officers to perform duty of marking and branding. 
7. Owner to obtain certificate of registry. Replacing lost certificate. 
8. Sealing certificate.
10. Fees for certificates. 
11. Fees to be credited to Government. 
12. Production of certificate on demand.
13. Penalty for neglect to comply with rules.
Recovery of penalties.
14. Power to direct compensation for trouble in seizing. 

SCHEDULE. 

 
[^1]
#THE COASTING-VESSELS ACT, 1838

##ACT NO. 19 OF 1838

[27th August, 1838.] 

1. **Extent.**—This  Act  extends  in  the  first  instance to the territories which, 
immediately  before  the  1st  November,  1956,  were  comprised  in  the  States of  Bombay, 
Saurashtra  and  Kutch,  but  the  Central  Government  may,  by  notification  in  the  Offici al 
Gazette, extend it to any other State or part of a State which has a sea -coast.

2. **Rules as to coasting and other vessels belonging to any citizen of India.** —
The  following  rules  shall  be  in  force  with  respect  to  vessels  belonging  to any  citizen 
of India,  and employed on the coasts of any State or part of a State to which this 
Act  extends or  in  trading  coastwise,  as  also  with  respect  to  fishing -vessels  and  harbour-
craft belonging to any such citizen.

3. **Marking  or  branding  vessels  with  name  of  place  and  number.**— Every such 
vessel employed as  aforesaid,  fishing-vessel  and  harbour-craft  shall  be  marked  or branded 
with  the  name  of  the  place  to  which  she  belongs,  and  also  with  a  number  assigned  for  the 
same by the officer authorised to make such regis try as is hereinafter mentioned.

**Owner to paint name and number**—and the owner or owners of such vessel employed s aforesaid, 
fishing-vessel and harbour-craft shall cause such name and number to be panted in black paint upon a 
white ground on each quarter of such vessel employed or aforesaid fishing-vessel and harbour-craft, in 
English figures and letters, each figure anti letter being six inches in length. 

4. **Registry  of  name, number and burthen.**—  The  name  and  number  of  every 
such  vessels  employed  as  aforesaid,  fishing -vessel  and  harbour-craft,  and  her  burthen, 
and  also  the  name  or  names  of  the  owner  or  owners  thereof,  shall  be  registered  in  a  took 
to be kept for that purpose by the person hereinafter directed to make such registry.

**Registry  by whom  to be made,  Fresh registration.** —At   Bombay such registry
shall   be  made  by  the Principal Officer, Mercantile Marine Department, and at 
other   places by  the  Collector  of Sea-customs  at  such  places  respectively,  or  by  such  other 
person  as  shall be  appointed  by  the Central  Government to  act  at  such  places  respectively,  in  the 
execution of this Act; and whenever any change shall take place in the burthen of such vessel employed 

[^1]. Short title given by the Bombay Short Titles Act, 1921 (Born. Act 2 of 1921).

This Act was declared by the Laws Local Extent Act, 1874 (15 of 1874), s. 5, to be in force in the whole of the Bombay 
Presidency, except the Scheduled Districts.

This Act has been repealed in so far as it applies to sea-going ships fitted with mechanical means of propulsion and to 
sailing vessels by the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 (44 of 1958), s. 461 and Sch. 

The Act came into force in Pondicherry vide Reg. 7 of 1963, s. 3 and Sch. I (w.e.f. 1-10-1963). 
The Act has been extended to Goa, Daman and Diu with modifications by Reg. 12 of 1962 and Sch. (w.e.f. 1-2-1965) and 
to Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands by Reg. 8 of 1965, s. 3 and Sch. (w.e.f. 1-10-1968).
 


as  aforesaid,  fishing-vessel  or  harbour-craft,  or  in  the  name  or  names  of  the  owner  or  owners  thereof, 
such registry shall be made again:

Provided, however, that it shall not be lawful to give any name to such vessel  employed as 
aforesaid, fishing-vessel or harbour-craft, other than that by which she was first registered.

5. **Owners to apply for registry.**— The owner or owners of every such vessel employed 
as  aforesaid,  fishing-vessel  and  harbour-craft  shall  apply  to  the  person  authorised  to  make  such 
registry  in  respect  of  the  same,  in  order  to  have  such  registry  as  aforesaid  made,  or  in  order  to 
have such registry made again as aforesaid. 

**Information of registry at subordinate port.**—And  whenever  such  vessel  employed  as 
aforesaid, fishing-vessel or harbour-craft is registered at a subordinate port, information thereof, 
and of the number there assigned to her, shall immediately be given by the registering officer to 
the Principal Officer, Mercantile Marine Department at Bombay.

6. **Officers to perform duty of marking and branding.**— The duty of marking or branding and 
of  ascertaining  the  burthen  of  such  vessels  employed  as  aforesaid,  fishing-vessels  and  harbour-craft,  at 
Bombay, shall be performed by the  Principal Officer, Mercantile Marine Department; and at all other 
places the duty of marking or branding and of ascertaining the burthen of such vessels employed as 
aforesaid, fishing-vessels and harbour-craft shall be performed by the Collector of Sea-customs at such 
places respectively, or by such other persons as shall be appointed by the Central Government to act at 
such places respectively, in the execution of this Act.

7. **Owner to obtain certificate of registry. Replacing lost certificate.**— The  owner  or 
owners of every such vessel employed as aforesaid, fishing-vessel and harbour-craft shall apply for 
and obtain a certificate of registry from the person authorised to make such registry as afores aid, and 
such certificate shall be in the form specified in the Schedule appended to this Act; and in the case of 
any certificate being lost or destroyed, a renewed certificate may be obtained in the same manner and 
on payment of the fees hereinafter mentioned. 

8. **Sealing  certificate.**— Such certificate of registry shall be scaled with the seal of the 
Government of India, - and shall be signed by the person authorised to make such registry.

10. **Fees  for  certificates.**—The  owner  or  owners  of  such  vessels  employed  as  aforesaid  fishing-
vessels and harbour-craft being excepted) on being registered as aforesaid, shall pay—  

for each certificate of registry for a vessel not exceeding 5 tons burthen, the fee of . .    .1 rupee;

for each certificate for a vessel exceeding 5 tons burthen and not exceeding 25 tons burthen,
the fee of  .       .    .  .   .       .    .      .       .    .       .    .         .     . .5 rupees; 

for each certificate for a vessel exceeding 25 tons burthen and not exceeding 100 tons burthen,
the fee of.    .    .     .     .      .      .      .     .        .      .       .      .        .      .       .      . . 7 rupees;

and for each certificate for a vessel of 100 tons or greater burthen, per ton, the fee of   .     .    2 annas.

11. **Fees to be credited to Government.**— The person or persons so authorised to make such 
registry as aforesaid shall receive the fees payable for the same, and shall pay such fees to such oilier as 
the  Central  Government  shall  appoint;  the  same  to  be  carried  to  the  credit  of the Central 
Government: 

Provided that any such fees as immediately before the commencement of  the Constitution 
were,  under  this  Act  as  then  in  force  to  be  carried  to  the  credit  of  the  Provincial  Government 
shall be paid to such officer as  the State Government may appoint and be carried to the credit of 
that Government.

12. **Production  of  certificate  on  demand.**— The  owner  or  owners  or  commander 
of  every  such  vessel  employed  as  aforesaid,  fishing -vessel  and  harbour -craft  shall 
produce,  on  demand  thereof  by  any  officer  of  the  Customs or  by  any  officer  of  the 
Navy,  the  certificate  so  directed  to  be  applied  for  and  obtained,  in  respect  of  such 
vessel employed as aforesaid, fishing -vessel or harbour-craft, as above mentioned.

13. **Penalty  for  neglect  to  comply  with  rules.**— Incase  any  such  vessel  employed  as 
aforesaid, fishing-vessel or harbour-craft shall not be so marked or branded in all respects as hereinbefore 
directed, or in case the name and number of any such vessel employed as afford  said, fishing-vessel or 
harbour-craft  shall  not  be  so  painted,  or  shall  not  continue  so  painted  on  such  vessel  employed  as 
aforesaid, fishing-vessel or harbour-craft, in all respects as herein-before directed;

or in case any such vessel employed as aforesaid, fishing-vessel or harbour-craft shall not be furnished 
with such certificate as hereinbefore specified, or in case the owner or owners or commander of any such 
vessel employed as aforesaid, fishing-vessel or harbour-craft shall not produce such certificate on demand 
thereof as hereinbefore directed;

the owner or owners of every such vessel employed as aforesaid shall be subject to a fine of ten times 
the amount of the fees payable in respect of the certificate of registry of such vessel, the same being a 
vessel for the certificate of the registration of which any fee is payable; and the owner or owners of any 
such fishing-vessel or harbour-craft shall be subject to a fine of ten rupees;

**Recovery of penalties**—which  fines  may  be  recovered  on  conviction  before  any 
Magistrate having  jurisdiction, by  sale  of  such  vessel,  fishing-vessel  or  harbour-craft,  
her furniture, ammunition, tackle and apparel;

**Penalty on repetition of default**—and such fines shall be payable as often as the owner or 
owners or commander of any such vessel employed as aforesaid, fishing -vessel or harbour-craft 
shall make such default as aforesaid: Provided every such subsequent default be made after the 
expiration of one month from the date of the last conviction.

14. **Power  to  direct  compensation  for  trouble  in  seizing.**— The Central 
Government may  direct  compensation  for  trouble  and  diligence  in  seizing  such  vessel 
employed  as  aforesaid,  fishing-vessel  or  harbour-craft,  guns,  furniture,  tackle,  ammunition 
and apparel, as last mentioned, to be made, out of the proceeds of such seizure to the person 
or  persons  who  shall  have  seized  the  same,  to  such  amount,  in  such  manner  and  in  such 
shares or proportions, as to the said Central Government shall seem meet.


###SCHEDULE 

This  is  to  certify  that  (here  insert  the  names,  occupation  and  residence  of  the  owners) 
having  declared  that  (he  or  they)  are  sole  owner  or  owners  of  the  vessel  (fishing-vessel  or 
harbour-craft) called  (the name) which is of the burthen of  (number of  tons)and that the said 
vessel  (fishing-vessel  or  harbour-craft)  was  (where  and  when  built),  the  said  vessel  (fishing-
vessel or harbour-craft) has been duly registered at the port of (name of port).

Certified under my hand.


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(Signature of Officer)